Christy Saia-Owenby is the founder and creative director of The MOXY Company.
Let’s be honest: Healthcare is challenging for everyone involved. Having worked in the healthcare marketing industry for decades, I’ve seen the unique obstacles patients, physicians, and medical technology companies face, especially when navigating the red tape of healthcare marketing. These challenges highlight the need for a strategy that not only complies with regulations, but also effectively communicates value and innovation.
As patients struggle to find the right care and understand their treatment options, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and medical technology companies are focused on diagnosing medical conditions and developing treatments. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, healthcare marketers are helping their clients get noticed in the digital space. As marketers, we must recognize and address the challenges facing everyone in the healthcare industry to craft campaigns that are compelling, effective, and authentic.
Why is this space so difficult?
daunting insurance and regulatory compliance hurdles;
Despite the fact that the United States spends over $4 trillion on healthcare, and billions more on marketing, everyone in the healthcare ecosystem, from patients and physicians to pharmaceutical companies, medical technology companies, and healthcare marketers, faces a common hurdle: insurance denials, making the path to delivering medical innovation to those who need it incredibly difficult.
These challenges highlight the need for a unified approach to overcome barriers and ensure breakthrough medical advances reach those who need them most.
You may be wondering why invest so much time and money into healthcare marketing.
The answer lies in the critical role marketers play in bridging the gap between innovation and access. As marketers, we must navigate complex obstacles and understand the frustrations patients face while crafting messages that resonate with healthcare providers and industry stakeholders. Our role is not just to sell products; it is to ensure that the value of new, life-changing therapies is effectively communicated to the people who impact patient care. By leveraging compelling storytelling, advocacy, and education, and by equipping people with the knowledge and tools to access the interventions they need, marketers can change the odds of positive outcomes in healthcare, helping patients and providers alike navigate complex healthcare systems more easily and effectively.
So let’s break down some of the common problems and misconceptions surrounding healthcare marketing.
What does “FDA approved” or “cleared” actually mean?
Even if a campaign says “FDA approved” or “cleared,” or a doctor recommends it, that doesn’t guarantee that the drug or technology will automatically be available to patients. The path from FDA approval to patient access is complicated and often hindered by insurance providers, or “payers,” who may deny coverage.
It’s essential for healthcare marketers to understand the complexities of their industry. Developing an effective campaign requires more than a compelling message and compelling visuals. Every claim you make in a social media post, brochure, or poster must strictly adhere to FDA regulations, because patients’ health is at stake. But even for a compliant, well-executed campaign, the real challenge often comes from overcoming barriers set by “payers.”
Even if patients follow their doctor’s advice, they may be denied coverage because their plan doesn’t cover the new medication or the prescribed drug is for off-label use, meaning it’s not FDA-approved for the patient’s particular condition. This frustrating insurance process can prevent patients from getting the treatment they need or force them to turn to cheaper, potentially unsafe, alternatives.
Cases and Points: Munjaro and Migraine Medication Madness
For example, the cases of Munjaro and Emgality both highlight the complexities of off-label use in medicine. Munjaro, approved to treat type 2 diabetes, has attracted attention for its effectiveness as an appetite suppressant and weight loss drug, leading some doctors to prescribe it off-label. Similarly, Emgality, approved to prevent migraines, is sometimes used off-label to treat rare headache conditions, outside the scope of FDA approval.
Despite the potential benefits, most insurance plans and Medicare do not cover off-label prescription drugs, making them financially out of reach for many patients. For example, patients like Macarena Khoury were initially able to take Munjaro, but when their insurance policies were renewed, they were denied coverage, forcing them to seek riskier alternatives, such as compounded versions. These versions produced by compounding pharmacies pose serious health risks due to possible impurities, which led Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Munjaro, to file a lawsuit against several centers selling counterfeit versions.
In response to these challenges, Eli Lilly released a responsive ad during the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony, highlighting Munjaro’s off-label use, emphasizing the importance of prescription use, and warning about the dangers of compounded medications. Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, a proactive campaign partnered with Team USA to spread the message, “You only have one body. Fight like hell,” and emphasized a commitment to health and wellness.
Similarly, patients like Noel Mandel, who suffer from rare headache conditions such as SUNA (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with cranial autonomic symptoms), turn to Emgality for off-label use. But without insurance coverage, patients like Mandel must constantly fight with insurance companies to get the medication they need.
Lilly’s strategic approach doesn’t stop with Maunjaro. The company aims to raise awareness and adoption of migraine medications like Emgality through its “Think, Talk, Treat” initiative. But as patients like Khoury and Mandell’s experiences show, even successful marketing efforts face significant challenges when it comes to adoption and access.
Creating campaigns to help patients
Creating an effective healthcare marketing campaign requires a deep understanding of these complexities. By focusing on the patient experience and delivering clear messaging, you can create campaigns that not only advocate for improved access, but also support patients. By leveraging social media, healthcare influencers and compelling patient stories, you can drive change and improve access in healthcare.
Despite the challenges of the approval process, hope is not lost. The rise of social media has created a forum for advocacy and sharing success stories, fostering a more supportive environment for patients and facilitating change within the industry – something worth exploring further in a future article.
Empowering patients to advocate for themselves is the future of healthcare marketing. Highlighting positive relationships with insurers and using social media to work constructively with them will promote transparency, create a more supportive environment for patients, and drive change within the industry.
We invite everyone involved in healthcare marketing to promote positive practice. By sharing experiences, providing feedback, and collaborating on better strategies, we can make a real impact on patients’ lives and contribute to building a more supportive and effective healthcare system. Together, we have the power to drive meaningful change through powerful storytelling.
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